Symbols, the Holy Spirit

The Symbols of the Holy Spirit

The Finger of God.

Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

The Holy Spirit is the “finger of God” in the sense that a finger is used to indicate things, and teachers use a “pointer” to teach by focusing on the most important.

The Seal.

1Cor 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

A seal has basically two purposes. One is like branding to mark ownership, and the second purpose is to guarantee quality, or set a degree of authority (make sometihing official). A third use is to “seal something” making it private, personal, or not open to “public consumption”. This third idea alligns itself with the concept of making something holy.

The Earnst or Deposit.

1Cor 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

http://www.heraldmag.org/2005/05so_2.htm

accursed

Accursed

This concept goes hand in hand with the concept of blessing, or being blessed. To be blessed is to be in the favor of God such that God is actively giving you good things, protecting you, and helping you. To be accursed is the opposite. The person who involves themself with something that is “accursed” is to take, like, want, or otherwise involves themselves with something that utterly has God’s disapproval.

God identifies certain things as being “accursed”. These accursed things (and those people associated with it) are things under the condemnation of God, and will shortly fall under the actual punishment of God. The concept of accursed is someone or something that is cast off from God. They (for some reason, by their decision to reject God, or because God has seen their sins and decides to reject them) are separated from God and all the goodness that is associated with God.

Rahab was taken out of the accursed city, but the city and all that were in it fell under the condemnation and punishment of God Joshua 6:17.

Josh 6:18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

God made everything in this city “accursed”, i.e. the Israelites were not to take or rescue anything from it, not animal, not possessions, not even money, gold or silver. Think atom bomb here. Everybody and everything is destroyed and nothing is to be left for Israel’s possession.

In Joshua 7 Achan took gold from the accursed city, and this caused the wrath of God. The entire story of Achan speaks to us of an utter and explosive declaration that things are not in themselves always good. Things associated with evil, especially things gotten through evil or wicked means, retain an association with that wickedness, and therefore, even though they in themselves can be good (food, money, clothing, etc), God has declared them off limits for us. From a purely carnal view, a gold coin is a gold coin, and we should not refuse to grab it if we can (without law enforcement grabbing us for stealing). But the story of Achan teaches us that this thinking just doesn’t check with God.

Possessions gain a kind of moral association with them, and therefore we have to be careful not to grab what is morally wrong, or what is good but gotten through morally wrong means.

Isa 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

“Blessing” (a good thing) is not blessing (is not good for us) if it incures the wrath of God in the process.

Things declared accursed

 

The idea of being declared accursed is to have no remedy to the ills of life. In other words, the only true source of blessing and rescue from the issues of life is God. To be accursed is to have God say, “I am not at home, go away, and don’t come back”. When you enter that situation, their is utterly no hope. The problem is, is when a person that is not accursed does something to get involved with something or someone accursed, and thereby also becoming accursed by association. On the one hand, it can happen, and on the other, normal people utterly refuse and reject anything related with it because nothing good can come from it.

Illustration. Consider a large city with a nuclear power plant. Something happens and the power plant powders the entire city with radioactive dust. Everybody left things as they were, not taking anything with them. You go into the city knowing this. You pick up clothes, eat their food, and drive one of their cars, and go to jewelry shop and put on a lot of gold jewelry. What good does it do you? The more you involve yourself with anything there, the more radioactive you become. You take money from a bank and then go out of the city and start buying things, and shortly the police track you down, and put you in jail for passing off radioactive money. The people that received it also are wanting you lynched. Nothing good comes of anything related to the accursed city.

Jesus became “accursed” for us, by hanging on the cross, in order to save our souls.

Deut 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

-DCox

Continue reading

Adam 4

Adam.

The first man. The name is supposed to be derived from Adamah, ‘earth, or red earth,’ agreeing with the fact that “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, Gen. 2:7. He differed from all other creatures, because God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, by which man became a living soul. He differed also in being made after the image and likeness of God:he was God’s representative on earth, and to him was given dominion over all other living things, and he gave them names. He was placed in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it, showing that occupation was a good thing for man even in innocence. God said also that it was not good for man to be alone, so He caused him to sleep, took from him a rib, and of this ‘builded’ a woman. Adam called her Isha for she was taken out of Ish, man:the two being a type of Christ and the church, in the closest union:cf. Eph. 5:31, 32. Continue reading

Adam 2 (Jowett – Scriptural Characters)

[Jowett – Scriptural Characters]

SCRIPTURE CHARACTERS, CHARACTER OF ADAM.
SECTION I. ADAM IN INNOCENCY.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

(Genesis 1:1 and Gen 1:26-28.) Continue reading

ablution

ABLUTION. definition a ceremonial washing of the body which has a spiritual meaning.

-DCox


 

Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity. This ritual uncleanliness is not identical with ordinary physical impurity, such as dirt stains; nevertheless, body fluidsare generally considered ritually unclean.

Most of these rituals existed long before the germ theory of disease, and figure prominently from the earliest known religious systems of the Ancient Near East. Some writers remark that similarities between cleansing actions, engaged in by obsessive compulsive people, and those of religious purification rites point to an ultimate origin of the rituals in the personal groomingbehaviour of the primates, but others connect the rituals to primitive taboos.

Some have seen benefits of these practices as a point of health and preventing infections especially in areas where humans come in close contact with each other. While these practices came before the idea of the germ theory was public in areas that use daily cleaning, the destruction of infectious agents seems to be dramatic.[1] Others have described a ‘dimension of purity’ that is universal in religions that seeks to move us away from disgust, (at one extreme) and to uplift us towards purity and divinity, (at the other extreme). Away from uncleanliness to purity, and away from deviant to moral behavior, (within one’s cultural context)

[Wikipedia.org]


 

ABLUTION. A ceremony in use among the ancients, and still practised in several parts of the world. It consisted in washing the body, which was always done before sacrificing, or even entering their houses. Ablutions appear to be as old as any ceremonies, and external worship itself. Moses enjoined them, the heathens adopted them, and Mahomet and his followers have continued them. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Jews, all had them. The ancient Christians had their ablutions before communion, which the Romish church still retain before their mass, and sometimes after. The Syrians, Copts, & c. have their solemn washings on Good Friday; the Turks also have their ablutions, their Ghast, their Wodou, Aman,& c.

[Buck]

Adam Parte 1

Adam

Adam’s place in history is very unique. He is the first created human, therefore he is the father of humanity. He and Eve are the first couple, and the first parents of human beings (a kind of secondary creation in that of procreation). Moreover Adam lived in the garden of Eden and apparently saw God face to face, living in perfection with God. The worse infamous element of Adam is that he plunged humanity into sin.

-DCox

Continue reading

Moses Part 2

Moses. [Mo’ses]

Son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, brother of Aaron and Miriam. He was born after the mandate by the king that all male children of the Hebrews were to be killed, but his parents by faith hid him three months, and when he could no longer be hidden he was put in an ark of bulrushes and placed among the reeds in the river. Being found there by Pharaoh’s daughter he was named by her MOSES, signifying ‘drawn out,’ and adopted as her son, being nursed for her by his own mother. He became learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was mighty in words and deeds. Continue reading

Assurance

Assurance

Assurance refers usually to the assurance of the believer (or unbelievers in offers of salvation) in God and his promises. Salvation is the greatest issue over which assurance is fought, that being, that once a person is saved, can they lose their salvation, or do they have the assurance that once saved always saved.

If we address this biblically, neither of the positions are biblical. The Bible does not support the idea that once saved you can lose your salvation. This is an unbiblical extreme. The other extreme is also unbiblical. This is the idea that once we “are saved” (usually repeating a prayer and/or being baptized) you can live as you please. The Calvinist idea of perseverance is basically in practice the idea that no matter how sinful you are, because you are elect, you will still go to heaven. This also is not biblical.

Biblical assurance speaks more to the confidence in God that (1) the believer CAN CONFIDE in the promises of his Savior, and (2) God’s surety and faithfulness in fulfilling what he has promised to do. In the end analysis, we do not yet actually “have” salvation (although it is right to say that), but we have the hope that God will save us in the day of eternal judgment of all humans.

-DCox


 

[N] [T] [E]
In the midst of a world filled with uneasiness and insecurity, assurance of a person’s security in God is one of the hallmarks of the authentic Christian life. Such assurance is not based on human resources, abilities, or ingenuity, but on confidence in the caring power of God for believers.
Such divine concern in the life of an individual or a community of faith is not to be likened to some superficial good luck charm or magical incantation that protects a person against the traumas and tragedies of human existence. Instead, assurance in God provides an anchor of confidence and hope (Heb 6:18) in the midst of pain and sorrow, because the believer has learned the secret of casting all worries and cares on God, who is genuinely concerned for people (1 Peter 5:7).
Assurance can be linked to faith and faithfulness (Heb 10:22), because it is one of the ways that the biblical writers describe an authentic relationship with God. While reliance on God is accompanied by the confidence that God is intimately involved in the lives of believers (1 John 5:14), faith in God does not earn a sense of security or assurance. Moreover, it cannot be achieved by attendance at church, by works of kindness, or by ecclesiastical pardon. The foundation for the assurance of one’s salvation or well-being with God is rooted in a divine gift. God is the provider of salvation in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Col 5:18-19). Moreover, it is God who will bring to completion this divine gift (Php 1:6). It is this assurance that God continues to work in the lives of believers that is the basis for the Christian doctrine of perseverance—endurance or continuing response to God’s leading (Eph 6:18; Heb 12:1; James 1:25). Assurance and perseverance are two sides of the same message.
Assurance of a relationship with God in Christ is the way believers express the mysterious connection between the infinite nature of God and the fallible nature of humanity. Life with God (whether in ancient Israel or in Christianity) is a dynamic reality, not some chess game in which God moves all the pawns and kings without reference to human response (note the amazing conditional statement in Jer 18:7-10). Resisting temptation (with divine help cf. Matt 6:13; 1 John 5:14) is a key to sense of security in God (cf. 1 Col 10:13; James 4:7). Evil and the devil are not some toys with which believers can play (1 Peter 5:8-9).
But believers are not left to their own resources. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers is a guarantee or assurance that God is at work in believers’ lives (2 Col 1:22; 5:5). It is through the Spirit that believers know the reality of God’s presence in their lives (1 John 4:13). Forces external to them will never be able to separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35-39); no power (symbolized by robber or wolf) is able to steal believers (symbolized by sheep) out of the loving arms of God’s Son (John 10:28).
This sense of assurance for believers is not merely limited to the present era on earth, but the resurrection of Jesus assures Christians that they are not deluded in their expectation of a future hope with their Lord (1 Co 15:17-20). The resurrection of Jesus is the powerful guarantee that Christian preaching and faith are not in vain (v. 14). The Holy Spirit’s presence provides assurance that Christians will receive their promised inheritance with God (Eph 1:14).
Gerald L. Borchert
See also Confidence; Endurance
Bibliography. G. L. Borchert, Assurance and Warning; D. A. Carson, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility; I. H. Marshall, Kept by the Power.
——————————————————————————–
[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave’s Topical Bible
[T] indicates this entry was also found in Torrey’s Topical Textbook
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton’s Bible Dictionary

BED


 

<A-1,Noun,4102,pistis>
“faith,” has the secondary meaning of “an assurance or guarantee,” e.g., Act 17:31; by raising Christ from the dead, God has given “assurance” that the world will be judged by Him (the AV margin, “offered faith” does not express the meaning). Cp. 1Ti 5:12, where “faith” means “pledge.” See BELIEF, FAITH, FIDELITY.

<A-2,Noun,4136,plerophoria>
“a fullness, abundance,” also means “full assurance, entire confidence;” lit., a “full-carrying” (pleros, “full,” phero, “to carry”). Some explain it as full fruitfulness (cp. RV, “fullness” in Heb 6:11). In 1Th 1:5 it describes the willingness and freedom of spirit enjoyed by those who brought the Gospel to Thessalonica; in Col 2:2, the freedom of mind and confidence resulting from an understanding in Christ; in Heb 6:11 (AV, “full assurance,” RV, “fullness”), the engrossing effect of the expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises; in Heb 10:22, the character of the faith by which we are to draw near to God. See FULLNESS.

<A-3,Noun,5287,hupostasis>
lit., “a standing under, support” (hupo, “under,” histemi, “to stand”), hence, an “assurance,” is so rendered in Heb 11:1, RV, for AV, “substance.” It here may signify a title-deed, as giving a guarantee, or reality. See CONFIDENCE, PERSON, SUBSTANCE.

Note: In Act 16:10, for the AV (of sumbibazomai), “assuredly gathering,” see CONCLUDE.

<B-1,Verb,4104,pistoo>
“to trust or give assurance to” (cp. A, No. 1), has a secondary meaning, in the Passive Voice, “to be assured of,” 2Ti 3:14.

<B-2,Verb,4135,plerophoreo>
akin to A, No. 2, “to bring in full measure, to fulfill,” also signifies “to be fully assured,” Rom 4:21, RV, of Abraham’s faith. In Rom 14:5 it is said of the apprehension of the will of God. So in Col 4:12 in the best mss. In these three places it is used subjectively, with reference to an effect upon the mind. For its other and objective use, referring to things external, see FULFILL; see also BELIEVE, KNOW, PERSUADE, PROOF. In the Sept., Ecc 8:11.

<B-3,Verb,3782,peitho>
“to persuade,” is rendered “assure” in 1Jo 3:19 (marg., “persuade”), where the meaning is that of confidence toward God consequent upon loving in deed and in truth. See BELIEVE, CONFIDENCE, FRIEND, OBEY, PERSUADE, TRUST, YIELD.

<C-1,Adverb,806,asphalos>
means (a) “safely,” Mar 14:44; Act 16:23; (b) “assuredly,” Act 2:36; the knowledge there enjoined involves freedom from fear of contradiction, with an intimation of the impossibility of escape from the effects. See SAFELY.


God wants believers to be assured of their salvation. He wants them to know without doubt that, having repented and trusted in Jesus, they have eternal life and will never perish (Joh 3:16; 6:47; 10:28; Heb 6:11,17-20; 7:25; 1Pe 1:23; 1Jo 5:12-13). God promises believers eternal security, and his promises are certain. God is faithful, and his promises can be trusted (Joh 6:37; Rom 10:13; 1Th 5:24; 2Ti 2:19; Heb 10:22-23; 1Pe 1:5).
What God has done
Believers have this assurance because their salvation depends not on anything they have done, but on what God has done for them in Christ. Through Christ’s death, God has forgiven their sins and brought them into a new relationship with himself. God now accepts them as being ‘in Christ’ (Rom 3:24-25; 5:1; 8:1,33-34; Eph 1:7; Heb 10:14,17-18,22; Jude 24; see FORGIVENESS; JUSTIFICATION).
Further assurance comes from the fact of God’s election. In his sovereign will and grace, God has elected, or chosen, believers to be his children, to have eternal life, to escape the wrath of God, and to share with Christ in the full blessings of the age to come (Joh 1:12-13; 6:37-39; Rom 8:29-30; Eph 1:4; 1Th 1:4; 5:9; 2Ti 1:9; see ELECTION). Nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39; Eph 2:4-5), and they receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of their eternal salvation. The Holy Spirit is God’s mark of ownership upon them (2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30; 1Jo 4:13).
The response of believers
These great facts are all concerned with what God has done, and they are the basis of true assurance. In addition, however, believers are aware within themselves that they are children of God (Rom 8:16).
This added assurance within believers comes from a variety of experiences relating to their new life. Such experiences include their desire to obey God (1Jo 2:3-6), their sensitivity to sin (2Ti 2:19; 1Jo 3:4-10,19-21), their awareness of God’s discipline in their lives (Heb 12:5-8), their love for others (1Jo 3:14-15), their desire to know more of God and his Word (1Pe 2:2-3), and their constant perseverance in the faith (Mar 4:18-20; 1Pe 1:6-9; Heb 6:11-12). Without these evidences of a changed life, those who claim to have assurance of salvation are deceiving themselves (Tit 1:16; 1Jo 2:4,9-11; 3:10; cf. Mat 7:22-23, 25:41-46). (See also BACKSLIDING; PERSEVERANCE.)

[Bridgeway]
The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:31) is the “assurance” (Gr. pistis, generally rendered “faith”) or pledge God has given that his revelation is true and worthy of acceptance. The “full assurance [Gr. plerophoria, ‘full bearing’] of faith” (Heb. 10:22) is a fulness of faith in God which leaves no room for doubt. The “full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2) is an entire unwavering conviction of the truth of the declarations of Scripture, a joyful steadfastness on the part of any one of conviction that he has grasped the very truth. The “full assurance of hope” (Heb. 6:11) is a sure and well-grounded expectation of eternal glory (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). This assurance of hope is the assurance of a man’s own particular salvation.

This infallible assurance, which believers may attain unto as to their own personal salvation, is founded on the truth of the promises (Heb. 6:18), on the inward evidence of Christian graces, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:16). That such a certainty may be attained appears from the testimony of Scripture (Rom. 8:16; 1 John 2:3; 3:14), from the command to See k after it (Heb. 6:11; 2 Pet. 1:10), and from the fact that it has been attained (2 Tim. 1:12; 4:7, 8; 1 John 2:3; 4:16).

This full assurance is not of the essence of saving faith. It is the result of faith, and posterior to it in the order of nature, and so frequently also in the order of time. True believers may be destitute of it. Trust itself is something different from the evidence that we do trust. Believers, moreover, are exhorted to go on to something beyond what they at present have when they are exhorted to See k the grace of full assurance (Heb. 10:22; 2 Pet. 1:5-10). The attainment of this grace is a duty, and is to be diligently sought.

“Genuine assurance naturally leads to a legitimate and abiding peace and joy, and to love and thankfulness to God; and these from the very laws of our being to greater buoyancy, strength, and cheerfulness in the practice of obedience in every department of duty.”

This assurance may in various ways be shaken, diminished, and intermitted, but the principle out of which it springs can never be lost. (See FAITH)

[Easton]


a-shoor’-ans:

A term exceptionally rich in spiritual meaning. It signifies the joyous, unwavering confidence of an intelligent faith; the security of a fearless trust. The original words have to do with the heart of vital religion. baTach, “trust”; ‘aman, “to prop,” “to support,” hence to confide in, to trust. Jesus repeatedly used this word “amen” to express the trustworthiness and abiding certainty of his sayings. pistis, “faith”; plerophoria, “full assurance.” The confidence of faith is based, not on “works of righteousness which we have done” (compare Titus 3:4; Titus 3:5 the King James Version) but on the highpriesthood and atoning sacrifice of Christ.

(Heb 10:21; Heb 10:22; compare He 10:19, “boldness to enter …. by the blood of Jesus,” the King James Version). Assurance is the soul’s apprehension of its complete emancipation from the power of evil and from consequent judgment, through the atoning grace of Christ. It is the exact opposite of self-confidence, being a joyous appropriation and experience of the fullness of Christ–a glad sense of security, freedom and eternal life in Him. This doctrine is of immeasurable importance to the life of the church and of the individual believer, as a life of spiritual doubt and uncertainty contradicts the ideal of liberty in Christ Jesus which is the natural and necessary fruitage of “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit …. shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Paul unhesitatingly said, “I know” (2Ti 1:12)–a word which, oft-repeated in 1 Jn, furnishes the groundwork of glad assurance that runs through the entire epistle. For the classic passage on “full assurance” see Col 2:1-10.

Dwight M. Pratt

[ISBE]


Assurance.

This word has in the O.T. a different application from that which it has in the N.T. In the former it is ‘confidence or trust,’ and agrees with the hopes of God’s earthly people in connection with the security in which Israel will dwell when restored to their land, when all their enemies shall have been put down by divine power: the effect of righteousness will be “quietness and assurance for ever,” Isa. 32:17: whereas in their disobedience they should fear day and night and have no assurance of their life. Deut. 28:66.

In the N.T. the Greek word plhroforia implies ‘full assurance’ and refers to eternal salvation. The gospel reaches a soul in power, and in the Holy Ghost and in ‘much full assurance.’ 1 Thess. 1:5. We also meet with:

1, the full assurance of faith, Heb. 10:22; the reception of God’s testimony respecting the work of Christ and the glory He now enjoys:

2, the full assurance of hope, Heb. 6:11, issuing in continued diligence of the saints in their work and labour of love: and

3, the full assurance of understanding, Col. 2:2, for full knowledge in the mystery of God.

[Morrish]


• Produced by faith
Eph 3:12; 2Tim 1:12; Heb 10:22

• Made full by hope
Heb 6:11; Heb 6:19

• Confirmed by love
1John 3:14; 1John 3:19; 1John 4:18

• Is the effect of righteousness
Isa 32:17

• Is abundant in the understanding of the gospel
Col 2:2; 1Thess 1:5

• Saints privileged to have, assurance of:

– Their election
Ps 4:3; 1Thess 1:4

– Their redemption
Job 19:25

– Their adoption
Rom 8:16; 1John 3:2

– Their salvation
Isa 12:2

– Their eternal life
1John 5:13

– The unalienable love of God
Rom 8:38-39

– Union with God and Christ
1Cor 6:15; 2Cor 13:5; Eph 5:30; 1John 2:5; 1John 4:13

– Peace with God by Christ
Rom 5:1

– Preservation
Ps 3:6; Ps 8:1-9; Ps 27:3-5; Ps 46:1-3

– Answers to prayer
1John 3:22; 1John 5:14-15

– Comfort in affliction
Ps 73:26; Luke 4:18; 2Cor 4:8-10; 2Cor 4:16-18

– Continuance in grace
Phil 1:6

– A support in death
Ps 23:4

– A glorious resurrection
Job 19:26; Ps 17:15; Phil 3:21; 1John 3:2

– A kingdom
Heb 12:28; Rev 5:10

– A crown
2Tim 4:7-8; Jas 1:12

– Saints give diligence to attain
2Pet 1:10-11

– Strive to maintain
Heb 3:14; Heb 3:18

– Confident hope in God restores
Ps 42:11

• Exemplified by:

– David
Ps 23:4; Ps 73:24-26

– Paul
2Tim 1:12; 2Tim 4:18 Faith

[Naves]

Assurance
David Cox’s Topical Bible Concordance

Assurance.
Produced by faith Eph 3:12; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 10:22
Made full by hope Heb 6:11,19
Confirmed by love 1Jo 3:14,19; 4:18
Is the effect of righteousness Isa 32:17
Is abundant in the understanding of the gospel Col 2:2; 1Th 1:5
Saints privileged to have, of
Their election. Ps 4:3; 1Th 1:4
Their redemption. Job 19:25
Their adoption. Ro 8:16; 1Jo 3:2
Their salvation. Isa 12:2
Eternal life. 1Jo 5:13
The unalienable love of God. Ro 8:38,39
Union with God and Christ. 1Co 6:15; 2Co 13:5; Eph 5:30; 1Jo 2:5; 4:13
Peace with God by Christ. Ro 5:1
Preservation. Ps 3:6,8; 27:3-5; 46:1-3
Answers to prayer. 1Jo 3:22; 5:14,15
Continuance in grace. Php 1:6
Comfort in affliction. Ps 73:26; Lu 4:18,19; 2Co 4:8-10,16-18
Support in death. Ps 23:4
A glorious resurrection. Job 19:26; Ps 17:15; Php 3:21; 1Jo 3:2
A kingdom. Heb 12:28; Re 5:10
A crown. 2Ti 4:7,8; Jas 1:12
Give diligence to attain to 2Pe 1:10,11
Strive to maintain Heb 3:14,18
Confident hope in God restores Ps 42:11
Exemplified
David. Ps 23:4; 73:24-26
Paul. 2Ti 1:12; 4:18

Archangel

Archangel

See also Angel

An angel is simply a spiritual being that serves God. Within this order of beings, there appears to be a separation of some from the others into positions of authority one over overs. These “archangels” are leaders over the angels, and/or possibly also authorities over positions and ministries, like an archangel over each nation as in Daniel.

In my book on angels, I make the point that “angel” is a difficult concept to understand. There is the possibility that “angel” is a general broad concept that gathers up in that all of the spiritual beings at the service of God. Demons were angels, but nowhere are demons or “fallen angels” ever referred to as “angel”. They lost they name in losing their relationship with their Creator. So possibly all good spiritual being are called angels. The other possibility is that there are a hole host of spiritual being that serve God Cheribum, Seraphim, Angels, etc. and angels are only one single “part” or member of this host. This makes more sense because technically, an angel is a messenger, and those spiritual beings that are not used as messengers, and stand around the throne of God shouting “Holy, Holy, Holy” are not technically an angel.


ARCHANGEL
This world is only twice used in the Bible, 1Th 4:16Jude 1:9. In this last passage it is applied to Michael, who, in Da 10:13, 21; 12:1, is described as having a special charge of the Jewish nation, and in Rev 12:7-9 as the leader of an angelic army. So exalted are the position and offices ascribed to Michael, that many think the Messiah is meant.

[AmTrac]


 

Michael the Archangel

In Daniel he is called ‘one of the chief princes,’ ‘your prince,’ ‘the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.’ He went to the assistance of one (probably an angel) who had been sent with a message to Daniel, but who had been detained twenty-one days by the prince of the kingdom of Persia (doubtless Satan, or one of Satan’s angels, who was acting for the kingdom of Persia, as Michael was prince for the children of Israel). Da 10:13,21 12:1. It is also said of Michael that when he contended with Satan about the body of Moses, he durst not bring a railing accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Michael and his angels will however fight with Satan and his angels, and will prevail, and Satan will be cast out of that portion of heaven to which he now has access. Jude 9 Re 12:7 : cf. Job 1:6 2:1. These are illustrations of the conflict of good and evil spirits in the unseen universe.

[Morrish]


 

<1,,743,archangelos>
“is not found in the OT, and in the NT only in 1Th 4:16 and Jud 1:9, where it is used of Michael, who in Daniel is called ‘one of the chief princes,’ and ‘the great prince’ (Sept., ‘the great angel’), Dan 10:13, Dan 10:21; Dan 12:1. Cp. also Rev 12:7 …. Whether there are other beings of this exalted rank in the heavenly hosts, Scripture does not say, though the description ‘one of the chief princes’ suggests that this may be the case; cp. also Rom 8:38; Eph 1:21; Col 1:16, where the word translated ‘principalities’ is arche, the prefix in archangel.” * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 142.] In 1Th 4:16 the meaning seems to be that the voice of the Lord Jesus will be of the character of an “archangelic” shout.

[Vine NT]